Area Business Owners Say It’s Tough To Find Employees
TUPELO, MISS. (WCBI) – It’s a common problem facing a lot of small businesses, there are a lot of positions open, but sometimes it’s not always easy keeping employees on the job.
Although he owns Pizza Doctor, Jesse Bandre doesn’t usually work behind the counter, unless it’s a necessity, like it was during Monday’s lunch rush. Bandre was helping train a new employee. Last week, the popular pizza restaurant at Midtown Pointe lost most of its workers and had to close its doors for four days.
“Two weeks ago our manager was diagnosed with Covid, so as she isolated for the next fourteen days, employees decided not to show up,” Bandre said.
Bandre took to Facebook with a post, blaming the temporary closing, in part, on people getting stimulus checks. In the same post, he asked those who needed a job to contact him. Monday morning, all four people who showed up for interviews were hired on the spot. More workers are still needed.
“I think there’s a lot of businesses in need of employees right now, honestly now we just need people to work, and that want to work, if they’re coming in to work, we want them, honestly,” Bandre said.
Next door at Cam & Lo’s, a new employee was also on the job. Co-owner Brittney Ferry says it has been tough finding and keeping workers. She thinks the stimulus checks and extended unemployment benefits are playing a big role.
“Where I worked before, at a medical clinic there were lots of our techs that said, it was hard to choose to be at work when they were getting paid almost as much to stay at home,” said Brittney Ferry, co-owner of ‘Cam & Lo’s.’
Kadejhi Long is one of the new employees at Pizza Doctor and is grateful for the opportunity.
“Most people feel like they don’t have to work, me, I need to work, I would rather work than just sit around,” Long said.
Bandre says it’s important to have dedicated, quality employees, not only for his business but also for the workers, who have opportunities to advance and build their resume.
Bandre is also the owner of Exceed Technologies, which is also in the Midtown Pointe Professional Building.
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